Improvement in electric gas-lighting apparatus



C. H. KINDS & A. T. SMITH.

ELEQTRIC GAS-LIGHTING APPARATUS. No. 171,130. Patented Dec. 14, 1875.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIoa.

CHARLES H. HINDS AND ADOLPH T. SMITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRIC GAS-LIGHTING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 171,130, dated December14, 1875; application filed July 21, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES H. HINDS and ADOLPH THEODOR SMITH, of city,county, and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Lighting Gas by Electricity, which improvement is fullyset forth in the following specification, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 represents a plan or top viewof our improvement, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical section inthe plane of the line mm, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section, showingthe connections of the traveling torch on alarger scale than in theprevious figures. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the connecting-nut.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

Our invention relates to that class of electric gas-lighters in whichare combined a vibrating electrode and a stationary insulated electrode,in conjunction with one or more gas-burners.

Our improvement consists in what we term a traveling torch, which isarranged in such a manner, relatively to the electrodes and thegas-burners, that the gas is ignited through the lighting ofa singleburner by the action of the electrodes, while, by reason of thetraveling of the torch, it is adapted to light any number of burnersplaced in its path.

The manner of imparting motion to the traveling torch consists inattaching it to a ratchet, which is engaged by a pawl connected to thearmature of an electro-magnet in such a way that when the circuit isclosed through the electro-magnet, and thereby a vibrating motion isgiven to the armature, the pawl partakes of such motion, and anintermittent movement is imparted to the ratchet and the torch.

The traveling torch is so constructed that it is adapted to burn agas-flame; and, to this end, it has a gas-supply source, which iscomposed, in the present example, of a transverse way extending throughthe ratchet from the point of the torch, with which it communicates, toone of its surfaces, which latter bears against the surface ofa nutprovided with a groove, which coincides with the transverse way of theratchet, and to which extends an inlet-orifice from the interior of atubular stem forming the support of the ratchet and the nut, and formingthe continuation of a gas-pipe, in such a manner that, when the ratchetdescribes its movement, a continuous supply of gas is kept up to thetorch.

With the traveling torch and its gas-supply source is combined anautomatic cut-ofi', of such a nature that it interrupts the supply ofgas to the torch at certain periods, and by this means the torch-flameis extinguished.

The automatic cut-0E is formed by a break or solid part in thefeed-groove, which, when the transverse way of the ratchet comesopposite to it, causes an interruption in the supply of gas to thetorch, as hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawing, the lettci-Adesignates a gasburner, which, in theexample shown, forms part of a ring-light, but which may be arranged inany desirable manner. With this burner are combined two electrodes, B O,the electrode B being connected to a lever, D, which vibrates on apivot, a, andwhich is in metallic contact with the gas-pipe E, while theelectrode 0 is secured to a stud, F, which is insulated from thegas-pipe. The lever D connecting with the vibrating electrode B isattached to the armature G of an electro-magnet, H, so that when, by theclosing of the current through the magnet, said armature is attracted,the point of the vibrating elect-rode is brought in contact with thepoint of the insulated electrode, and when the current is broken and thepoints are allowed to separate a vivid electric sparkis produced, whichserves to ignite the gas issuing from the burner A.

The helix of the electro-magnet H connects at.

one end by a wire, 10, with the gas-pipe, and through this pipe to theground, while the other end of the helix connects by a wire, 11, with akey (not shown) which, through suitable intermediate cells, connects bya wire, 14, with the insulated electrode G, and, by depressing the key,the circuit of the galvanic cells is closed through the electro-magnet,and thus an attraction of the armature of the magnet takes place, andthe production of an electric spark.

The tubular stem I, that forms the support of the gas-pipe E, contains aratchet, J, in the form of a wheel, and to this ratchet is connected aradial pipe, K, the end a of which forms a torch, the end being open,and the whole being connected with the interior of the stem 1, whichconstitutes a gassupply source, when attached to a gas-pipe. Combinedwith the ratchet K is a pawl, L, which is pivoted to thearmature-lever 1) operating the vibrating electrode B, or to a separatelever, and thus, when the armature G is attracted, the pawl partakes ofits movement and ot' the armature-lever, and thereby the ratchet ismoved forward to the extent of the movement of the lever, and the torchK is caused to travel with the ratchet.

Now, the torch being supplied with gas and being caused to move by theaction of the pawl and ratchetin proximity to the burner A, withwhich'are connected the electrodes B C, the torch is lighted by theflame of the burner, or by the electric spark, as the case may he, andas the torch continues to travel its flame serves to ignite theremaining burners of the ring.

It may be here remarked that the burners, instead of being in a circularform, may be placed in a straight or curved line, in which case theratchet J is made of a corresponding form, or in the form of a rack, andthe torch is given a corresponding movement.

The connection of the torch with the interior of the tubular stem I iseffected by means of a transverse passage, 1), in the ratchet J of agroove, 0, in the surface of a nut, L, encompassing the tubular stem I,and by means of.

an orifice, (1, extending at right angles from the groove 0 through thenutand through the stem I.

When the tubular stem is connected to a gaspipe, the gas passes throughthe inlet-orifice d to the groove 0, and, distributing itself throughoutthis groove, finds its way to the passage 1), which guides the gas tothe torch.

In order to form an air-tight joint between the surfaces of the nut Land the ratchet J, the latter is subjected to the action of springs M,interposed between the ratchet and the head of the tubular stem I.

The continuity of the groove 0 of the nut, Fig. 3, is broken by a solidpart, f, the size of which is equal to or greater than the diameter ofthe passage b of the ratchet, and when, in the movement of the latter,this passage 12 com es opposite to the breakf, the supply of gas to thetorch'K is cut ott' and the torch-fiame is extinguished. The break fthus forms an automatic cut-off, and it is so disposed relatively to theposition of the torch and the gasburners that the extinguishment of thetorch takes place at the completion of its movement, or, in other words,after all the burners have been ignited.

Immediately neXt to the point at which the traveling torch isextinguished, the ratchet has a depression, g, Fig. 1, the object ofwhich is to permit of a movement of the armature G and of the electrodesB O, sufficient to cause the points of the latter to come in contact, in

contradistinction to the remaining part of the ratchet, which is soformed as to prevent such movement, and to obviate the production of anelectric spark at every movement of the torch.

WVhat we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric gas-lighter, a traveling torch, K, adapted to operatein conjunction with electrodes B G, substantially as described.

2. A traveling torch K, combined with a gassupply source and withelectrodes B 0, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a pawl, L, ratchet J, armature G, andelectro-magnct II, with the traveling torch K, substantially asdescribed.

4. In combination with the traveling torch K, a gas-supply sourcecomposed of the way b, groove 0, and orifice (Z, substantially asdescribed.

5. The cut-off f, constructed as described, in combination, with thetraveling torch K, the groove 0, way I), and orifice 61, substantiallyas set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing, we have hereunto set our handsand seals this 19th day of July, 1575.

CHAS. H. HINDQ. [L.s.] ADOLPH THEODOR SMITH. [Ls] Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, E. F. KASTENHUBER.

